Andrea Grebenc: 'I will not be applying for the position of Regional Chair'

By Andrea Grebenc

July 13th, 2026

BURLINGTON, ON

Andrea Grebenc sent us a note saying: “With the upcoming municipal election, I’ve had questions about whether I would apply for the Regional Chair appointment since I ran for the position in 2022.  thought I would put out an op-ed type of statement. 

Since I ran for the position of Regional Chair for Halton in 2022, people have been asking me whether I would apply for the appointed chair position now that the Ford government has removed the role from the October municipal election ballot.

My answer is no. I will not be applying for the position of Regional Chair.

Andrea Grebenc

To change a democratically elected position into an appointed one, empowered to veto 23 duly elected councillors and mayors, push through provincial priorities rather than the priorities of local voters, and limit public consultation and debate at council is a travesty.

I sought to represent the people, not the Premier and his agenda.

I fear for the future of regional mandates under this new scheme, including the potential privatization of our water. We saw what happened in Walkerton and should never risk seeing it happen again. Our ambulance services and public long-term care facilities could also be at risk of privatization.

Recent undemocratic moves by this government leave me deeply concerned about the future of accountability and transparency at the regional level. Defying a court order to release the contents of the Premier’s cell phone, banning Freedom of Information requests for the Premier and Cabinet, and withholding information about Skills Development Fund scoring that provided millions to potentially unworthy recipients with ties to the PC Party while rejecting worthy applicants all raise serious questions about transparency.

Andrea Grebenc as a candidate during the last provincial election.

These actions leave me apprehensive about the procurement of regional infrastructure projects, including roads, water, and waste management. Finally, I suspect that land-use planning will return to the regional level under this new leadership structure and its expanded powers, allowing for closer provincial control and less local voice over the extremely valuable land here in Halton.

There was another path.

The new structure for Halton Regional Council could have followed the model used by school boards, where the chair is chosen from within the elected council itself. That approach would have preserved the tenets of democracy, ensuring that local voices, influence, and priorities remain in Halton rather than being dictated from an office or two at Queen’s Park.

The people of Halton deserve a Regional Chair who is accountable to them, not an appointment that answers first to the provincial government.

Andrea Grebenc is a former Chair of the Halton District School Board trustees.